Spacelab Tour 1998

by Tracy Gill
January 9, l998

We had a busy December testing the Neurolab payload here at KSC. This level of testing, known as Level III/II, ensured that the Neurolab experiments worked in conjunction with each other and with the Spacelab support equipment. Our previous level of testing, Level IV, which was conducted while the racks were not yet installed into the Spacelab module, ensured each experiment basically worked on its own. Everything is in pretty good shape now, and we are in the midst of making final preparations to move the payload to the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to install in Columbia at the end of January. So with the help of Brandt Secosh, I had the time to give a little video tour to show you what the actual Spacelab module that contains the Neurolab experiment hardware looks like.

	This picture shows some of the test equipment in the low-bay of KSCs O&C Building. This equipment is on one end of Test Stand 2 where Neurolab experiments were integrated into and tested inside the Spacelab in December of 1997. The two racks in the middle actually contain some flight hardware that is required to activate and deactivate the Spacelab and actually gets mounted in panels on the Aft Flight Deck of Columbia. When testing officially concludes in the O&C Building, the two grayish panels and the small yellow panel are sent out to be installed in the aft flight deck
	This picture shows me ingressing into the Neurolab Spacelab on a ground access platform. The entryway is actually the point where the Spacelab tunnel will connect the Spacelab to the orbiter crew compartment once it is all assembled in Columbia's payload bay. I'm wearing a clean room garment, commonly called a bunnysuit. We wear these types of garments when we work inside, above, or within three feet of flight hardware to maintain cleanliness of the hardware that goes into space. It's very important to maintain cleanliness because small pieces of paper or felt or other loose items could float into and damage sensitive electronics or even worse float into your mouth or nose while you're trying to breathe in microgravity.
	This image shows Rack 3 of Neurolab where some of the animal subjects will be spending their time in flight. They will actually be loaded into the Spacelab at the launch pad two days before the mission by a technician lowered down on a harness through the tunnel and into the Spacelab while the shuttle is in a vertical orientation.
	This image shows Rack 10 of Neurolab where four fish will be spending their time in flight. The Japanese Space Agency, NASDA, built this hardware. The fish packages will actually be loaded into the Spacelab at the launch pad two days before the mission by a technician lowered down on a harness through the tunnel and into the Spacelab while the shuttle is in a vertical orientation.
	This is an overview image on the forward end of the Neurolab Spacelab module. As you can see it looks kind of messy. We have a lot of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) in there to ease the process of integration and testing. Visible in this image are a step- ladder, a headset communications box, additional overhead lighting, and a cooling air hose. Seven of the twelve flight racks are visible. One the left from front to back are Racks 5, 3,and then 1. On the right from forward to back are Racks 8, 6, 4 and 2. Rack 5 contains several Pentium computers that are used for various experiments. Rack 3 is one of the anima- holding facilities. Rack 1 is called the Work Bench Rack and contains a working area and many standard tools. Rack 8 contains the General Purpose Workstation, a large enclosed working area where experiment observations can take place and be recorded on camera. Rack 6 contains hardware for the astronaut lung function experiment. Rack 4 contains two Spacelab video recorders, a water pump and cooling system, and various controls. Rack 2 contains hardware for many Spacelab monitoring, communication, and control functions.
	This image shows the aft end cone of the Spacelab module. Prominent in the center is the mounting bracket for a TV camera. Many of the video images you will see of the astronauts during the mission will come from the camera mounted in this position. This camera will be installed and tested while Neurolab is installed in the Columbia at the Orbiter Processing Facility in February.
	This image shows the Body Rotation Device. This piece of hardware, developed by the European Space Agency, is a rotating chair in which an astronaut will sit and spin during the mission. Though that may sound like something that would just be fun to do, the purpose is to study the effects of microgravity on visual and vestibular responses.
	This image shows a floor panel in front of Rack 3. We use the blue covers to protect the flight floor from damage during ground operations. The white pieces of cloth you see are called foot restraint loops. These can be used to astronauts to hold themselves in place while they are working to keep from floating away from the front of the rack. Under the floor panel is a nightmare of cabling, electronics, and cooling equipment that we test and maintain to make sure the Spacelab support hardware and the Neurolab experiment hardware will work in flight.